Essential Anatomy for Family Medicine in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum

Abstract

IntroductionTo prepare medical students for clinical training and practice, it is critical to understand the anatomical knowledge considered most important for different clinical specialties.AimTo address this issue, a consortium of anatomists in the US and Canada is collecting data from clinical educators in Family Medicine clerkships and electives to identify the anatomy they consider essential.MethodsAn IRB‐approved, online survey (Qualtrics, Seattle, WA) was used to assess the importance of 98 anatomical topics in seven body regions. The study first examined the percentage of Family Medicine clinical educators (clerkship/elective directors and attending physicians) that considered each anatomical region important to their specialty. Second, the study examined the rank assigned to each anatomical topic using an ordinal scale from 1 (not important) to 4 (essential).ResultsAt the time of abstract submission, data had been collected from 93 Family Medicine clinical educators at 19 medical schools. The percentage of Family Medicine clinical educators that considered each anatomical region important to their specialty were (highest‐to‐lowest): Back (99%), Upper Limb (99%), Lower Limb (99%), Head & Neck (98%), Thorax (96%), Abdomen (96%), and Pelvis & Perineum (95%). Further data analysis has identified the highest ranked anatomical topics in each body region for the Family Medicine clerkship/elective.Discussion and ConclusionThis database provides detailed information regarding the most clinically relevant anatomical topics as identified by Family Medicine clinical educators. This information can aid in focusing preclinical learning to best prepare medical students for success in their undergraduate and graduate clinical experiences.